Perfect pastry making tips

Make your own pastry like a pro with these helpful tips from our Victorian Group Leader, Maria Stuart. Maria is also a renowned pastry chef and owns her own bakery and cooking school too!

The right tools

- Good mixing technique is the basis of good pastry and the Thermomix is perfect for this.

- Always read through the steps in the recipe before you embark on making the pastry.

Cool down

- Short and puff pastry require very cool conditions – so if it is warm weather try to make it in the cooler part of the day.

- Always use cold butter, cold water and cold eggs if using eggs.

Technique

- The ratio of flour to fat depends on the type of pastry. The dry ingredients must be mixed thoroughly, especially for short pastries where the gluten must be sealed away before liquid is added.

- The correct amount of liquid is essential. This will vary with the type of flour, sometimes you will need to adjust the amount of water – be careful however, as too much liquid will lead to tough pastry, too little and it will be crumbly and difficult to handle.

- Don’t touch! Over working the dough is a common mistake. Once all the ingredients are mixed in, avoid handling the dough too much.

Rest up

- As soon as you have made the pastry it must be allowed to rest in the fridge to relax the gluten.

- After rolling out your dough, it must rest again before baking. This will ensure the pastry doesn’t shrink or tighten up in the oven and you get a melt in the mouth ‘crumb’ with your pastry.

Click here to get my recipe for a rich shortcrust pastry with a caramelised leek and goats cheese filling.